Development
by IBelieveYouLiar
Summary: Beckett and Castle have just been through the toughest few days of their life - how will it change their relationship? Post-Countdown, AU. Rated T. Epilogue is up and story is COMPLETE!
1. With A Little Help From My Friends

**AN: WHY HELLO THERE! Ahem. I have (what I hope is) good news for you. See, in honour of my 25th story on this site (my, how time has flown), I've decided to start a new stupidly fluffy multi-chapter story. It's been a while since I've done a multi-chap as I simply haven't had the time to commit to finishing something like that, but now that I'm on three months of holidays I think I can devote enough of my time to writing a good story.**

**So here is the first chapter of "Developments" - it's set in Season 3, post-Countdown, but goes AU from there. I'm not going to address the finale at all in this story, either. So Montgomery's sticking around.**

**I hope you enjoy the first glimpse!**

**IBYL  
>xo<strong>

* * *

><p>Castle woke abruptly, panting heavily. He patted himself down quickly, taking a few deep breaths to steady himself, before reaching for his phone and tapping out a quick text to Beckett.<p>

_You up still?_

He sighed, scrubbing his face with his hands. The nightmares had come thick and fast since the freezer incident two weeks ago. When he'd come into the precinct that morning after a sleepless night, Beckett pulled him aside and flat out asked him what was wrong.

"_Spill, Castle. You can't hide these things from me." Beckett had turned to face him after locking the door to the conference room. He smiled at her, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Why do you look like the walking dead?"  
>"It's nothing." He said quietly, before sitting on one of the chairs.<em>

"_Castle, look at me." She said softly, and when he did, she smiled. "Partners." She affirmed, and he nodded._

"_Nightmares. That's why I can't sleep."_

"_How long for?" She asked softly, taking a seat next to him._

"_Since the freezer. I just… they're so vivid. I have never been more angry at my own imagination, at having my memories warped into horrors before my eyes. It hits me that it wouldn't have taken much for my nightmare to have become reality."  
>"So in your dreams…" She prompted, and Castle sighed.<em>

"_You die. You always die. Right in front of me, Kate." He choked out her name on a half-sob, and she clutched his hand tightly._

"_You listen to me, Richard Castle. I'm not going anywhere. Hopefully your subconscious will realise that soon, but until then, every time you wake up, and you feel uncertain, I want you to text me. OK? Because I won't let you do this alone." He smiled but scoffed a little at her offer.  
>"Bet Josh won't like that." He murmured, and Kate sighed.<br>"That's not going to be a problem, Rick. He left for Haiti yesterday, and I broke it off before he went." He raised his eyebrows, and Kate smiled a little. "He only stayed because we fought. I realised I didn't want to be in a relationship like that. I wasn't happy. I need to be happy."_

Castle was drawn from his thoughts by his phone chiming softly next to him.

_Yeah, couldn't sleep. Call me?_

He smiled and hit speed dial 2 (Alexis, of course, was number 1), smiling as he heard the familiar ringing.

"Hey, Castle."

"Why can't you sleep?" He asked, skipping his greeting.

"Same situation as you." She replied quickly.

"Nightmare?"

"A bad one. Happens sometimes." He could imagine her shrugging off her own answer and he smiled to himself.

"And here I was thinking it's just me."  
>"I'm here with you, Rick." She said, and he smiled at the use of his first name.<p>

"Thanks, Kate. So how have you passed the time you've not spent sleeping, then?"  
>"Sitting, pacing, and rearranging my closet. Trying to wind down, but it doesn't seem to work for me." She sighed. "Any chance you'll sleep again tonight?"<p>

"Slim to none, I'd say. It's already 2am. By the time I stop thinking about the nightmare, the sun will be coming up." He chuckled a little, almost like a defence mechanism, and was greeted by silence. "Hey, Kate? You still there?" He asked.

"Yeah, Rick, still here."

"Any chance of you sleeping again?"

"Nada."

"Come over, then." He said, smiling to himself, already excited by the mere idea.

"Seriously?"

"Why not? If we can't sleep, we may as well hang out. A movie or something, might help us wind down." Kate paused at that, before smiling to herself.

"Okay, Castle, I'll see you in a bit."  
>"Great! I'll see you soon." He smiled to himself before picking up his warm quilt and heading downstairs to set up camp on the couch.<p>

He'd been sitting for a few minutes, watching the clock tick, when he heard a gentle knock on the door. Smiling at her thoughtfulness, he swung the door open, and Kate grinned.

"Hey, Castle." She murmured softly.

"Beckett, come on in." He grinned, and gestured towards the couch where she sat down and pulled the quilt over her lap before settling back into the couch. "Drink?"

"I'm alright thanks." She smiled, before patting the seat next to her with a smile.

"How are you doing? Aside from the whole not sleeping thing, of course." He stammered, and she smiled.

"Subtle, Rick. I'm fine. I'm the one who broke things off."  
>"Ok, I believe you." He put his hands up in a false surrender and she smiled.<p>

"So you know what I did with my sleepless night, what did you do?"

"Nothing productive. I sat around. Didn't want to move around too much and risk waking Alexis."

"She's here?" Kate asked, surprised.

"Yeah, she is."

"Does she know you haven't been sleeping?" She asked, and once again Rick smiled at how thoughtful she was.

"Yeah, she knows. She…" He stopped briefly to gather his thoughts. "She heard me scream one night, even from the other end of the house. She came and woke me up, and we talked about it a bit. I couldn't tell her everything because parts of it were about the bomb, but she got the general idea." He shook his head sadly. "She's concerned."

"Of course she is, Rick. She's YOUR daughter." Kate said quietly. "She's always going to be kind-hearted and unfailingly generous." She looked up at Rick and saw tears in his eyes. "Hey, I'm just telling the truth."

"Thank you, Kate." He choked out, and she snuggled closer to him slightly before looking him in the eye again.

"Always." She murmured, before resting her head on his shoulder. "You picked a movie?"

"Uh… no. Knew I forgot something." He murmured, and she laughed softly.

"Well I don't know about you but I'm more than happy to just sit here. Don't know if I'll sleep though." She said, and he grinned widely.

"I'm good with sitting, Kate." He said, before taking a risk and placing a soft kiss in her hair.

She was asleep within half an hour.

**Thanks for reading! Next chapter shouldn't be too far away, just playing with it now to make sure I'm happy with it. But in the meantime, review? :)**


	2. Happy Dancing

**AN: So, I got this edited earlier than I thought, which means you get another chapter today! In just a few short hours I've had an amazing response and it makes me smile so much, so thank you :) This one has a lot of cuteness, including a Castle/Alexis moment.**

**I knew I forgot something earlier, which is the Disclaimer. I don't own them. I own an OBSCENE amount of merchandise, but not the actual show. Pity.**

**I hope you all enjoy!**

**IBYL  
>xo <strong>

Rick blinked his eyes open the next morning and realised that the sun was already high in the sky. He then noticed the weight on his shoulder, and couldn't help the smile that escaped as he recognised the dark curls of his favourite detective, resting on his shoulder. Although he was reluctant to wake her up, he had to – the precinct was waiting. He shifted subtly, and shook her gently.

"Hey, Kate." He murmured softly, and her eyes opened slowly.

"Hey." She whispered with a sleepy smile that had Castle's heart melting. "I slept?" She asked, surprised.

"Yeah, so did I. For a few hours at least." He grinned, and she grinned back, before yawning a little.

"Wow, I haven't slept like that in weeks. Did you hear my phone at all?" She asked, and he shook his head.

"No, but I was fairly out of it, so you might want to check for safety's sake." He said, and she sighed before shifting away from him and picking her phone up from the table in front of them.

"Nothing, thank god." She groaned, before leaning back into the couch.

"Do we have to go into the precinct today?" He asked, and she nodded.

"In about an hour, if there's no body drop before then." She said, sighing. "I'm still stunned that I slept." She pulled a face to indicate her confusion and Castle cracked up laughing.

"You mull over that, and I'll put together some breakfast." He said, kissing her forehead softly as he stood from the couch and wandered to the kitchen, leaving Kate with a looked of stunned surprise as she contemplated his last little action.

XXX

15 minutes later, Rick returned to the couch with two plates, loaded with toast and scrambled eggs. Kate smiled.

"Yum." She crooned, digging in like she hadn't eaten in days, and making Rick laugh before he took his first bite and moaned.

"I am the best chef ever." He stated, and Kate laughed.

"I'm enjoying this too much to argue with you right now. Later." She murmured between bites, making him laugh. She finished her food and took her plate to the kitchen, before wandering back to the couch to see Rick.

"I hate to eat and run, but I have to go clean up before work. Will I see you later?" She asked, secretly hoping he responded in the affirmative.

"Yeah, you will. I'll bring lunch." He grinned.

"That would be great. Thanks, Rick – for breakfast and… everything." She said, self-consciously. He smiled, thinking to himself how adorable she was, before getting up from the couch and wrapping her into a hug.

"Thanks for coming over. I'll see you in a bit." He smiled.

"See you in a bit." She grinned back, before leaving the loft and getting into the elevator, trying to ignore the fluttery feeling in her stomach and the giant smile that threatened to grace her face.

Castle had to resist the urge to dance around the loft, instead deciding to busy himself by making a second round of breakfast. Alexis had a late start at school that day, and he decided to make her some eggs too. She tumbled down the stairs and he smiled.

"Morning, pumpkin."

"Smells good in here. What are you doing up? Do you want to talk about it?" She asked, worried. He smiled at how thoughtful she was, and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm fine, Alexis. I actually slept for a while last night."

"Really?" She asked, surprised. He hadn't been sleeping well for weeks.

"Well, yeah. Beckett cornered me in the precinct yesterday, asked me why I looked like the walking dead. And she was about as scary as you were, so I told her I'd been having nightmares, and she told me she was in the same situation, and made me swear to tell her if I was having trouble sleeping. I messaged her last night, and she was awake too – she'd had a really bad nightmare, and it left her rearranging her closet. So I invited her over, figuring that since we were already awake we could hang out. We ended up crashing on the couch." He said, trying desperately to hide his grin.

"Oh… well, I'm glad she could help." Alexis said, before beginning to eat.

"Hey, Kiddo?" He said, and Alexis looked up. "You know how much I love you, and how much I love all of the advice and help you've given me over the years. You're a genius, Lex. It's part of your charm. But you can't help much with this particular problem, and I don't really want you to. For you to help fix my nightmares, you'd had to have experienced them yourself, and I don't want you to have to go through that. Not now, not ever." He wrapped an arm around her. "I promise you I'll be okay. You don't need to worry about me. Beckett, she can help with this one. Don't get me wrong, I don't want her to have nightmares either, but… I can't really change that since she's a grown woman with a harrowing job. I still get to protect you for a little while longer." He said softly, and she smiled through the tears forming in her eyes.

"Thanks, Dad." She said softly, kissing his cheek.

"If I'd known she was coming over, you would have known immediately." He said, finally gauging what she was worried about.

"After you'd finished happy dancing, you mean?" She teased, and Castle tried to look indignant but failed.

"Yeah, after I'd finished my happy dance I'd let you know." He said, and she giggled.

"It's okay, Dad. Really, it is. As long as she's helping you and not hurting you, I'm alright with it." She said. "Okay, I'm going to get ready for school. Will you be here when I'm done?"

"Yeah, I'm going to get some writing done before I head into the precinct for lunch. Say goodbye before you leave." He said, turning for his study.

**Another one bites the dust!**


	3. Spontaneity

**AN: Okay, so mixed response to that last chapter. Not sure how I feel about it. I hope that people like this chapter better.**

**So this story is going to be 10 chapters in total - 9 story chapters and an epilogue (you'll see why as we get further into the story). 10 chapters doesn't sound like much but I have a tendency to stretch my stories too far and I'm trying to stop doing that. I actually have a surprising amount of the story already written, so mostly I'll be editing and touching up chapters before I upload them, which means that hopefully you won't have to wait long for each installment.**

**In better news, HOW AMAZING WAS CUFFED? I won't spoil anything in case people haven't seen it. But I will say, it's in my Top 5 episodes, easy. Fantastic stuff.**

**Disclaimer: I'm not worthy of owning them. I can't write awesome episodes like Terri Miller and Andrew Marlowe.**

**IBYL**  
><strong>xo<strong>

* * *

><p>Three hours later, Kate Beckett was pacing around the precinct, trying to relieve her boredom. The precinct had been quiet today, as the only body that had dropped recently had been claimed by Karpowski's team. She'd made herself two coffees, finished her paperwork and organised her desk – and now she was on the verge of begging for a distraction. And who was a better distraction than Richard Castle? She moved to pick up her phone but smiled as she heard the elevator chime behind her. She spun in her chair and her grin widened as Castle approached.<p>

"Well if it isn't New York's finest!" He declared as he took his seat. "Can I steal you for lunch?"

"Steal away. I'm bored out of my mind here." She said, before collecting her bag. "I'll just let the Captain know. Remy's?" She asked and he nodded in response. She stole away to the Captain's office quickly, and returned with a huge smile on her face.

"Let's go, writer." She said, pushing him towards the lift. He waved a goodbye at the boys before returning his attention to Beckett as the elevator doors opened.

"That is a nice smile." He said, raising his eyebrows. "Going to tell me why it's gracing your face?"

"I have the afternoon off."

"Any plans for your afternoon of freedom, then?" He asked.

"I found out two seconds ago, Castle." She replied, rolling her eyes.

"Well then you're free to spend it with me!" He exclaimed, pleased with himself and his powers of deduction.

"How about we see how lunch goes?" She said, not wanting to seem too eager but pleased with the idea all the same.

"Seriously? I LOVE today!" He exclaimed, practically skipping from the elevator and into the street. She couldn't suppress a laugh as he stopped, hooked her arm into his, and dragged her down the street.

XXX

"The usual?" He smiled, and she nodded.

"Absolutely." She said decisively, and he grinned.

"You're easy to please." He said with a laugh, before ordering for them and leading her to a booth. They dissolved into their usual easy banter, talking about their respective mornings. Kate couldn't help the large smile that bloomed on her face as Rick talked enthusiastically and at length about the next Nikki Heat book. His excitement was contagious and she found herself really looking forward to the next book – not that she wasn't already. But Castle didn't need to know that.

Their food arrived and they ate in an amicable silence, occasionally murmuring about how the burgers were perfect as always. When their food was finished and their table cleared, Castle looked across at Beckett.

"So, what do you say, Detective? Spend the afternoon in my company?" He smiled, a true genuine 'for her eyes only' smile, and she couldn't help but melt a little. And given the excited dance that the butterflies in her stomach were choreographing, she figured the rest of her was pleased with the suggestion too.

"Sure, Castle. What do you want to do?"

"I was going to suggest a movie but there is absolutely nothing worth seeing in cinemas at the moment, which is a feat unto itself. So, would you object to a lazy afternoon at Casa Castle?" He smiled softly and she knew she should be panicking at the idea of an afternoon alone with this particular man in his loft but she couldn't bring herself to care. She used to worry, used to run… but she had no good reason to bolt anymore. So she said the only thing she could in response.

"Sounds perfect, Rick."

His responding grin was so large that she was convinced his face would crack from the pressure.

XXX

"Do you have more writing to do?" Kate asked as they walked into the loft.

"I always have writing to do. But I don't have any lingering deadlines, if that's what you mean." He said, and she smiled.

"When's your next deadline?"

"Ages away. I'm really far ahead. I'm close to the end of this book and I've outlined the next one briefly."

"Dare I ask, where have you found the time to write?"

"Haven't been sleeping, remember? Insomnia equals lots of writing time." He said, and she looked concerned. She tried to mask it quickly but Castle was too quick, and he put his arm around her shoulders. "Kate, I'm okay. A little insomnia never hurt me. And besides, I slept last night, didn't I?"

"Yeah, I know. But I don't like that you have this problem because of me."

"Beckett, I'm the master of the macabre. Nightmares kind of come with the job description." He said, trying to make her smile. He succeeded, but only a little.

"I still don't like it. It's not your job." She said, and he looked down at her forlorn face sadly. He spun her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Kate, listen to me very carefully. The time I've spent with you and the boys in and out of the precinct – some of the best of my life. Probably equal with raising Alexis, because with you guys I feel like part of a family - a weird, totally dysfunctional family, but a family none-the-less." He said, smiling. "The guys couldn't really care less about my money, and my fame – the only time they're interested is when I buy a bar or a cool game. And I have the good booze for poker. Do you have any idea how great it is to just be one of them? And you. God, Kate, you're just extraordinary. You're sassy, and smart, and absolutely stunning and most importantly, you aren't scared of me. You needle me, and we bicker, and it's honestly the most fun I've had in years. You're my best friend. Seriously, if having a few nightmares means that I get to stay with you, with my second family, and spend time solving crimes then I'm happy to push through it." He smiled, and Kate couldn't help but smile in return, before she wrapped her arms around him in a tender hug.

"Thank you for being in my life." She whispered softly, trying to convey just how much his little speech meant to her.

"Always." He said, a few beats later, making her smile brightly into his shoulder.

"You're my best friend too." She murmured into his shoulder, and he grinned before placing a kiss in her hair. She couldn't help the tingle that spread down her spine at the feel of his lips on her scalp. She stayed curled in this embrace, simply enjoying being in his arms.

"I could get used to this." He murmured softly, and her eyes widened as he held her tighter. "Shit, did I say that out loud?" He pulled away from her apologetically and she frowned at the loss of contact. "I'm sorry, don't kill me, you know that I have no filter and I…" he stuttered fearfully and Kate couldn't help but smile at him.

"You're adorable." She muttered softly, and his jaw dropped suddenly.

"I'm… what?" He asked, still shell-shocked.

"You're adorable." She whispered. He'd closed his jaw but was still dumbstruck, and Kate could no longer resist the now-infamous magnetic force between them. She took a step closer to him and leaning up, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close to her, brushing her lips against his softly. Although it took Castle a second to realise what was happening, he soon wrapped his arms around Kate's waist and moved his lips over hers softly. When they finally had to break for air, Kate couldn't help but smile at how perfect it felt. She looked at Rick, who was grinning stupidly.

"I have never been so glad for my unfiltered thoughts." He said, and she giggled.

"Neither have I. And as someone who's put up with a LOT of your thoughts, that one was by far one of the best." She laughed as he feigned hurt, before kissing her again. When they broke apart, Rick was smiling.

"Go out with me?" He asked tentatively, and she smiled.

"Like a date?"

"Yeah, like a date." He said, brushing her arm softly and giving her goosebumps.

"When?" She asked, and he took that as her agreement.

"Is tonight too soon? I wasn't thinking anything too fancy… just something fun."

"Okay, Rick. Tonight. Something fun… I think I can swing that." She said, smiling. "What should I wear?"

"Something comfortable." He said, and she rolled her eyes at the lack of help.

"Well I'm going to go home and get ready." She said, excited. He kissed her as he walked her to the door.

"I'll pick you up at 6. No arguments."

"See you at 6, Rick." She said, kissing him once more before leaving the loft and sternly telling herself not to skip away from his door. Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Richard Castle was doing the victory dance to beat all victory dances.

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><p><strong>So, date night! Who's excited?<strong>


	4. Date Night

**AN: So here it is, the fourth chapter which means... *drumroll*... DATE NIGHT! This is probably my favourite chapter thus far, it's stupidly fluffy and I am quite fond of it. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Still not mine. I sure do love borrowing them though.**

**IBYL**  
><strong>xo<strong>

At 5.45pm, Kate sat on her couch trying her very best not to shake with anticipation. A date, a real date with Richard Castle. She had to stop her chuckle at how fantastically backwards they were, kissing before they dated, and without the influence of alcohol – but when were they ever normal anyway? Her 'comfortable' outfit consisted of her favourite skinny jeans, high black heels, a light blue slinky, backless top and a silky black jacket. She'd decided that she was comfortable no matter what she wore in his presence, so she went for a little wow factor. She stopped pondering her outfit when she heard a gentle knock at the door. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and walked over, opening the door.

"Hey, Rick." She said softly, smiling.

"Hey. You look amazing." He said reverently, looking her up and down. "Oh, these are for you." He said sheepishly, handing her some pretty pink roses. She smiled and ushered him inside so that she could put them in some water.

"So do I get any hints as to where we're going?" She asked, and he laughed.

"I wanted to surprise you." He said gently, and she couldn't help but smile.

"I usually hate surprises but just this once, I'll allow it." She said, and he grinned.

"Awesome! Okay, shall we?" He said, gesturing to the door. She nodded and picked up her purse, following him outside. As soon as she'd finished locking her door, he took her hand in his. She smiled at him and intertwined their fingers together securely, leaning into his shoulder and making him smile.

"We walking or driving?" She asked, and he smiled.

"Walking tonight – I figured it was a nice night so probably worth the effort. But if your feet start hurting in those killer heels of yours, let me know." He said cheekily, and she laughed.

"What would you do about it?" She asked.

"Carry you." He said easily, squeezing her hand softly before leading her down the street.

They chatted easily and aimlessly on the way to their destination, and before long they'd arrived at Central Park. Raising an eyebrow but saying nothing, they continued walking for another few minutes before they arrived at their destination.

"So, here we are. I tried really hard not to go too over the top." He said, and she couldn't help but smile.

"This is a brilliant idea, Rick. I've never been to an outdoor cinema."

"I'm glad you approve. So, what's showing?"

"Well…we have options. But, since I picked the options, they're a little eclectic. We can choose between _Princess Bride _and _Up._" He asked nervously.

"Don't make it hard or anything, jeez! Is _Up _that kid's movie?" He nodded, and she beamed. "I saw the ads and wanted to go, but never got around to it… let's watch that." She said, and he grinned.

"Done. As much as I love _Princess Bride_, I can't stay away from Pixar movies."

"I don't know anyone who can." She said softly, and smiled as he kissed her cheek softly and sat down with her on a fluffy blanket. Kate kicked her heels off gracefully and tucked her feet under herself before cuddling into Rick. He smiled and put his arm around her, stroking her side softly as the opening credits began.

XXX

Kate and Rick laughed their way through the charming movie, Kate even shedding a few sneaky tears in places. She was sure Rick noticed, but was pleased that he didn't say anything. They got up from their blanket and stretched out, Kate putting her heels back on before taking Rick's hand again.

"That was adorable. It'd be high on my list of the best Pixar films." She said, and he smiled, pleased he'd picked the outdoor cinema.

"What else makes the cut in Kate Beckett's world?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"Any of the _Toy Story_ movies and _Monsters, Inc._ You?"

"I'm a sucker for _The Incredibles_, because I love super powers. But I think my favourite is _Finding Nemo_." He said, and Kate smiled.

"Oh, I'd forgotten about Nemo! I adore that movie, Dory is the coolest." She said, and he grinned.

"You're just perfect, aren't you?" He said in response, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple, and she blushed cutely, making him smile more.

"Thanks, Rick. You're not so bad yourself." She said, and he grinned.

"So, you hungry?" He asked casually, and she nodded.

"I could eat." She replied.

"There's a great Chinese restaurant about 5 blocks away – how are your feet going?"

"They're fine after the rest. We can walk it." She said, and they wandered in the general direction of the Chinese place that was apparently Alexis's favourite. Kate smiled at the look of pride that graced his face at the mere mention of his daughter – it made her heart melt. It also made her remind herself to call her own father, and soon. Maybe she could even take Rick to meet him. She smiled at the thought, knowing that her dad would instantly approve of him, and Rick caught her.

"What's got you smiling?" He asked, and she decided to be honest.

"Was just thinking about how much my dad's going to like you." She said, and he beamed.

"You're going to let me meet your dad?"

"Yeah, Rick." She said simply and he stopped walking, spun her around and kissed her soundly. When they broke apart for air, she smiled. "Man, I should tell you you're going to meet my dad more often." She said cheekily, and he grinned, before pulling his arm around her shoulders. Kate decided to go with the flow, and wrapped her arm around his waist for the rest of their walk to the restaurant.

XXX

They arrived at the restaurant and were seated immediately. They'd decided on their walk that they couldn't think of one specific dish they wanted, so agreed to order several small portions and share. Kate smiled at how easy this was, the chatting, the laughter – but she always knew it would be. As they dug into their food, they both remarked on how delicious it was, easily sharing the best of the restaurant's offerings. After they finished dinner and Rick settled the cheque, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders once again, an action she returned, wrapping her arm around his waist tightly as they wandered slowly in the direction of her apartment.

They reached her building all too soon, and Kate couldn't help but pause.

"You're coming up, right?" She asked, and he laughed.

"Sure, if you'll have me."

"Duh." She said cutely, before heading inside to her elevator, him trailing her eagerly.

When they arrived at her door, Rick rested his hands on Kate's hips as she opened her door. She felt the contact and smiled at how gentle, how careful he was being. It comforted her to know that he was probably just as nervous about this as she was, despite his confident exterior. When she finally got the door open she turned quickly in his grasp, putting one hand behind her back to open the door as the other wrapped behind his neck, pulling him closer. She kissed him softly and opened the door, leading them into her living room. She pulled away to catch her breath and smiled at him dreamily, an action which made his heart melt.

"Drink?" She asked, and he nodded.

"That would be great." He said, following her to the kitchen as she poured them both a glass of wine. She passed him one of the glasses and he held it up as they got comfortable on the couch together.

"Would it be totally cheesy to cheers to us right now?" He asked, and she laughed.

"Yes, but I'll allow it." She said, and he grinned.

"To us." He said, and she repeated the sentiment softly before clinking her glass with his and taking a sip. When he mimicked her actions, she smiled to herself, not really sure what to do next. Luckily, Rick solved that issue for her, sliding closer and pulling his arm around her shoulder, kissing her temple softly and making her giggle.

"You like kissing my head." She said, when he gave her an inquisitive look.

"That's where your beautiful mind is." He said easily, and she grinned.

"Oh god, my boyfriend is a total sap. Help me now." She mocked dramatically, but he just grinned wider than she'd ever seen. "What?"

"I'm your boyfriend." He said proudly, and she blushed, not realising she'd even said it because it felt so natural, so normal.

"It would appear so." She said, aiming for nonchalance but missing the mark entirely.

"You're my girlfriend." He said, as if confirming it. And despite her best judgement, she nodded her agreement. He kissed her, hard, before pulling away laughing. "God you have no idea how insanely happy that makes me." He said, laughter bubbling in his chest. He beamed more and Kate couldn't help but grin in response.

"Well I know how happy it makes me." She said softly, and he just kissed her more.

"I am so very lucky to have you, Katherine Beckett. I'm the luckiest guy in the world."

"Maybe I'm the lucky girl." She said softly. "Oh jeez, now we're getting ridiculous. We have to stop the mushiness, Rick. We have to work tomorrow – can you IMAGINE what Ryan and Esposito would do to us if we're this mushy constantly?" She asked, and he grimaced.

"Yeah, okay, bad idea. I'll tone it down. But when I get you alone, Kate – all mushiness is fair game."

"Deal." She said, poking her tongue out playfully, and he grinned.

"So we're going to tell them?"

"Well, _boyfriend_" she said, enunciating slowly to make sure he understood "that tends to come with the territory. But we tell Martha and Alexis first… and Lanie, because if she's the last to know, I will be strangled." She said simply, and Rick laughed.

"Come back to the loft with me now? No funny business, I swear. You can have the guest room and everything. I just… I don't want tonight to be over." He said, pouting, and she laughed.

"Let me go pack a bag." She said, kissing him softly before standing up from the couch and running to her bedroom. Quickly changing out of her date night dress into sweats, Kate put a work-suitable outfit in a bag before grabbing some basic toiletries and heading back into the lounge, where she found Rick snooping through her bookshelves.

"That was quick. You pack light." He said, genuinely surprised.

"Not exactly a typical girl. Find anything you like?" She asked, laughing.

"Thank god you're not a typical girl. And yes, I did find some good stuff. Aside from my own work, of course – you appear to be fond of the classics." He said with a smile.

"Who isn't fond of the classics, Rick?" She asked, and he nodded his head.

"Touché, Kate." He said, picking up her bag despite her protests. "Shall we?" He held out his arm for her and she curled her arm into it.

"Lead on, Mr Castle." She said regally, and he smiled as they left her apartment for the loft.

**What did you think? Let me know how you think the story is going so far :)**


	5. Sharing is Caring

**AN: We're officially halfway through this story. I'm still getting some mixed reviews, but that last chapter got a really good reception so I'm pleased :) This one is a bit fluffy and cute, so I hope you like it. Next chapter should (hopefully) be up tomorrow.**

**IBYL  
>xo<strong>

**Disclaimer: If I owned them... well, read my stories (current and previous). They'd be married with babies by now.**

When they got into the elevator at the loft, Kate started to get nervous. Sure, Alexis and her had always gotten along, but what if she didn't approve? She was sure that Rick noticed something because he leant down and kissed her sweetly.

"Calm down, Kate. It will all be okay. They know I was on a date with you anyway." He murmured softly, and she smiled.

"I should really be more concerned at how well you can read me." She responded, and he laughed, before taking her hand and pulling her out of the lift towards his front door. He slid the key into the lock and flung the door open.

"Hey Dad." Alexis called from the breakfast bar, before turning around. "Kate!" She exclaimed, running over to give her a hug. Kate smiled and welcomed the embrace, ignoring the knowing look on Rick's face.

"Hey, Alexis. Glad to see you finally took my advice." She teased, and Alexis laughed, while Rick raised an eyebrow in question. "Told her that I leave the detective title at the precinct, Castle. She can call me Kate." She explained, and he couldn't help but grin in response.

"So you're here, and you have a bag. I'm guessing the date went well?" Martha asked as she swanned into the room, ever the graceful dame. Kate laughed.

"Yeah, it went well."

"See Richard, I told you to go with your gut." Martha said knowingly. "Lovely to have you here, dear." She said to Kate, before wandering away.

"You're together now?" Alexis questioned innocently, and Kate nodded.

"Yeah, pumpkin." Rick said, and his daughter smiled brightly.

"About time." She said simply, before heading back to pack up her homework. "Now that you're home, I'm going to bed. Night Dad." She said, kissing both adults on the cheek softly. "Night Kate." She smiled and made her way upstairs. Kate couldn't wipe the grin off her face.

"You have the best kid in the world." She said honestly, not realising that Alexis had just started to make her way downstairs again to grab a glass of water. Alexis beamed at the compliment, before turning on her heel and softly padding to her bathroom to grab a drink from there.

XXX

Kate and Rick went to bed not long after Alexis, and Kate politely declined the offer of the guest room, making Rick beam in delight. They were tucked up in bed together, Kate resting her head on Rick's chest softly, when he decided he couldn't hold his tongue anymore, and had to ask.

"Don't leave or get mad, okay? But… why are you sleeping in here tonight? I'm not complaining, you know I'm thrilled. I'm just curious." He said, and she sighed.

"I like the idea of being next to you. Especially in case either one of us has a nightmare again. Some of the best sleep I've had in weeks was against your shoulder, Rick – I'd really like some solid sleep." She said honestly, and he smiled.

"Well then, I'm more than happy to be of service." He said with a smile, before throwing his arms around her and holding her close. "Sweet dreams, Kate." He murmured against her hair.

"Night, Rick."

They lasted until almost 3AM before Rick awoke from his nightmare, breathing heavily. Kate was awake instantaneously and was stroking his chest softly, murmuring soft words of comfort in his ear. He settled down again before turning to Kate, his apology shining in his eyes. She shook her head silently, telling him there was nothing to be sorry for – and like always, he understood. She made him lay back down again and kissed him softly, before lightly tracing patterns across his chest to soothe him. When his breathing evened out a little, she tucked her head back into his chest and continued to draw patterns until she slipped into dreamland herself.

XXX

The next morning, Kate blinked as she woke up and adjusted to her surroundings. She soon realised where she was and smiled, noting with a grin that Rick was still asleep. She checked the time and realised she had a little while before she had to wake up, so simply enjoyed watching the man in her life being blissfully silent. He had a ghost of a grin on his face, and she smiled at the childish expression. He had obviously sensed her interest in him as his eyes fluttered open.

"Morning." She said softly.

"Hey." He grinned more, making her laugh. "I thought staring was creepy?" He asked, and she suppressed a giggle.

"I'm observing. Making sure you're okay." She said, and he grimaced.

"Sorry I woke you." He said softly, and she pulled a face.

"I don't care, Rick. Still the best night's sleep I've had in ages. So answer me, you okay?" She said, and he smiled softly.

"Yeah. It was a lot easier to wake up and hold the tangible proof that my nightmares weren't real in my arms." He said, and her face softened.

"I wish you didn't have to do this." She said, and he pulled her to him and kissed her soundly.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again, Kate – you're worth it. All of this will fade eventually, and I have you to help now."

"That you do." She murmured softly, before rolling out of bed and leaning over to plant a kiss on his lips – one that she soon lost control of. Before long, she was stretched out on top of him and they were making out passionately. When they pulled away for air, Kate noticed the time.

"Oh crap, Rick, we have to get ready for work." She said, and he groaned.

"But this is a thousand times better." He moaned, and she grinned.

"Well hey, quicker we get up and get ready, the quicker we can break the news to the guys at the precinct." She said with a wink, and he smiled.

"Shower's yours. I'll go make breakfast and shower after. Deal?" He said, regretfully rolling over so that he could head for the kitchen.

"Deal." She confirmed, pressing her lips against his one more time before spinning on her heel and walking into Rick's en-suite.

Half an hour later, she was eating breakfast happily, laughing as Alexis and Rick bickered over the correct syrup-to-pancake ratio. Rick, being Rick, smothered his pancakes in maple syrup, which Alexis thought was disgusting. The argument continued until Kate simply couldn't take it anymore, rolled up one of Rick's pancakes and shoved it in his mouth, which left Alexis spluttering with laughter. It was infectious, and Kate and Alexis were literally rolling around on the floor while Rick pouted. Getting up and wiping the happy tears from her eyes, Kate smiled and wrapped her arms around Rick's waist.

"Shut up about the syrup, okay babe?" She directed, before resuming eating. Alexis kissed Kate's cheek, and her Dad's, before taking her last bite of breakfast and heading for the door.

"See you tonight. Stay safe." She called out as she picked up her bag.

"Will do, pumpkin!" Rick called in response, and she shot them one last grin before leaving the loft. Kate finished breakfast and Rick kissed her soundly. "My turn for the shower. What do you need to do in the meantime?"

"You got a mirror in your room?" She asked, and he nodded. "Well while you shower, I'll do my hair and make-up."

"Girly things, got it. Come on." He said, taking her hand and leading her to his bedroom, kissing her cheek before heading for the bathroom. She beamed, before going about her morning routine.

20 minutes later, Rick had finished his shower. When she heard the bathroom door click open she looked up to ask him where he kept tissues, but quickly lost her train of thought.

He was only wearing a towel.

And he looked far more amazing than she'd ever suspected. To put it simply, he was ripped.

Why did he hide that under button-downs all the time? And when did he have the time to work out?

She noticed the amused look on his face and realised he'd probably noticed her staring, making her blush. When the red colour tinged her face, he laughed softly, kissing her.

"You like what you see?" He asked, a gentle teasing tone in his voice, telling her there was no need for embarrassment. She grinned.

"Ah… yeah, you could say that. When the hell do you find time to work out?" She asked.

"Exercise is a really good solution for writer's block. Going for a run, doing weights – it's an easy way for me to clear my mind. Focus myself. And… I didn't want to let the precinct down, let you down. I figured if I kept fit, made sure I was able to keep up with you at least a little, I'd be less of a liability." He said, shrugging, and Kate grinned, leaning up to kiss him.

"That's sweet. Next question, then: why do you hide under the button-down shirts?" She asked, subconsciously ogling him again and making him laugh.

"I don't know. I've always worn button-downs. Why, you want me to wear tight t-shirts?" He asked, chuckling, and she frowned.

"On second thoughts, no. There are enough women fawning over you. They figure out how built you are and I'll never, ever get you to myself." She said, trying to hide the jealous, childish edge in her voice, but Rick caught it. He pulled her up from her chair and pressed his forehead against hers.

"They'd never even come close to you, Kate." He whispered softly, and she blushed at the sheer sincerity shining through in his voice. Not having anything useful to say in response, she simply kissed him, trying to relay everything she felt for him into her actions.

If the dazed, happy look on his face as they pulled away for air was anything to go by, she succeeded.

**Brighten my day?**


	6. Revelations

**AN: Another chapter! Thanks so much for all the wonderful reviews, not long to go now :)**

**IBYL  
><strong>**xo**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it... don't have anything mildly witty to say this time...**

When Kate finally let Rick get dressed, he only took 5 minutes and they were soon getting ready to leave the loft. She grabbed her bag and put it in the boot of her car, before sliding into the driver's side. Rick took her hand as soon as she sat down, and she smiled to herself. It was a simple action, but it made her melt a little inside. She started the car and pulled into traffic on her way to the 12th.

"So how are we announcing?" He asked, genuinely excited to be telling people that the remarkable Kate Beckett was his girlfriend.

"I was going to say we should mess with them but to be perfectly honest with you, I cannot be bothered. So I was thinking we just walk in hand in hand and freak people out."

"Well I like freaking people out." He said, making her giggle.

"God, you make me act like a teenager. All I've done for the past 24 hours is blush and giggle and make out with you." She sighed.

"I would apologise for it, but I wouldn't mean it. I like seeing you happy, Kate. And if it's because of me, well, that's a great bonus." He said softly, and she smiled.

"You don't need to apologise Rick, and I am happy because of you. You know that. It's just… I'm not used to it, to being like this, to being so… girly." She said with a shrug, and he laughed. "I'm so used to being one of the boys that feeling… cherished, is still a little strange." She explained, and Rick beamed.

"I'm planning on cherishing you for a long time yet, Kate." He said softly as she pulled up outside the precinct. She turned and kissed him quickly.

"Good." She said simply, before removing herself from the car. When he was out too, she smiled and twined her fingers with his as they walked towards the elevator, Kate hitting the basement button first. Rick raised an eyebrow. "Lanie." Kate said, and he nodded, before grinning.

"Can we mess with her a little, please?" He begged, and she looked at him.

"Probably not good for your health, Rick." She warned, and he nodded.

"I suppose not." He moaned, clearly disappointed, so she tried to cheer him up.

"She's been trying to convince me to go out with you for absolutely AGES, you know? Since your first case with us, pretty much." She said casually, and his eyes widened before he smiled.

"It's nice to have the best friend on my side." He said with a sly grin, and she shoved him.

"And if you hurt me, the best friend will falsify your autopsy report so that it reads 'accidental'." She said, and he swallowed hard, making her smile. "Rick. Calm down. You'll be fine. We'll be fine." The elevator doors opened and the pair walked out hand in hand, and Kate pushed the door open.

"There are only two people in this place who come visit the morgue without a body and I've just sent Javier away. What's happening, Kate?" Lanie said, her back to the door, and Kate let out a happy laugh, making Lanie spin on her heel to check the situation. She raised an eyebrow at Castle.

"Morning, writer boy. What brings you down to my lair?" She asked, before looking them up and down and spotting their linked hands. She squealed, and Rick laughed, wrapping his arm around Kate's waist. He looked at her and smiled, reading the need for a little girl talk in her eyes.

"I'll go grab us coffee. See you in 20?" He asked, and she nodded with a smile before leaning in to give him a kiss goodbye. He eagerly responded but pulled away all too soon, making her pout a little. He smiled, kissed her softly one last time, before grinning and wandering out of the morgue. Kate had the good sense to finally turn back to Lanie, who was standing in the middle of the morgue, open-mouthed and fanning herself.

"I better be the first to know." She said menacingly, and Kate smiled.

"Well, Martha and Alexis technically knew first. But, you're the first from the precinct. And my dad doesn't know yet."

"You should probably tell him soon so that he doesn't get blindsided when Castle asks him for your hand in marriage." Lanie deadpanned, and Kate choked on air.

"Lanie Parrish! Our first date was yesterday! We're not getting married!" She exclaimed, ignoring the voice in her head whispering '_not yet anyway'._

"Babe, I just witnessed that for myself and I'm telling you right now, you're getting married." She said, smiling, before she wrapped Kate in a hug. "I'm so happy for you, Kate."

"Thanks, Lanie. I'm really, really happy. It's stupidly fast but I really think we'll be okay." Kate said, still clinging to Lanie with a smile. She peeled herself away and grinned. "I'm going upstairs to get my coffee. Drinks later in the week?" She asked as she turned for the door.

"Only if I get details in exchange!" Lanie said with a laugh, and Kate winked at her as she wandered towards the elevator.

When she got in the elevator and hit the button for the homicide floor, the lift stopped at the ground level, and Castle stepped in.

"Timing." She said with a smile as he passed her a coffee. She took a grateful sip and grinned, slipping her hand into his. The elevator arrived at homicide and they walked out together, still hand in hand, directly past Ryan, who did a spit-take at the sight.

"Morning, guys." He coughed, getting Esposito's attention. "Something you want to share with the class?" He asked, and Esposito grinned.

"Took you long enough." He said, walking past Castle and slapping him on the back of his head, before smiling at his boss.

"Yeah, we're happy for you." Ryan affirmed, still trying hard not to pull a face at the new information he'd just garnered. Kate grinned.

"Thanks, boys." She said, squeezing Rick's hand before letting it go and sitting at her desk. "Anything drop yet?"

Rick had to marvel at her – just like that, the fun-loving Kate had flipped to hard-core Detective Beckett. It was a sight to see. He watched as she did her paperwork for the last murder case they'd closed, his lovely girlfriend not-so-patiently waiting for a new body to drop. By lunchtime, the precinct had stayed quiet, so Castle murmured a quick 'be right back' and ducked out to grab lunch for Beckett and the boys. Half an hour later he returned with a few pizzas, much to the boys delight, and Kate smiled at the childish excitement that Ryan and Esposito always got over food. She took her seat next to Castle with a smile, and her and the boys chatted aimlessly about baseball fantasy leagues, pleased to have a reprieve from talking about murder. Just after they'd finished lunch, a call came through from dispatch, and Kate sighed.

"Okay guys, back to the grind. We've got a body." She said, and the group of four left the building to catch a scumbag.

**I should be back tomorrow, people. In the meantime, you know what to do ;)**


	7. Getting Away From The Usual

**AN: Hey guys! Sorry it took me longer to get this chapter up, I was sick. But as a reward, I'm going to put up two chapters today! This one is mainly filler (sorry!) but hopefully you'll like the next one too, as that has a bit more to it.**

**IBYL  
><strong>**xo  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I'm not AWM. End.**

When they closed the case they caught, a man shot dead in an alley by a business associate when their working relationship turned sour, a few days later, the captain rewarded them with four days off. Rick grinned at the news as they left the Captain's office to pack up for a few days. Kate looked at Rick suspiciously.

"That smile tells me you have a plan. You have a plan, don't you?"

"Don't I always?" He said with a grin, and Kate sighed.

"I'm going to have to get used to surprises with you, aren't I?"

"Yeah, you are. But this one's really good, I promise." He said, eyes sparkling, and she smiled.

"Okay, I trust you." She turned to bid farewell to the boys, and the couple entered the lift together and Rick took Kate's hand. "Where to first?"

"Your place, then mine." He said confidently, and she smiled.

A few minutes later, they were back at Kate's apartment, where he pulled a small suitcase from her closet. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he smiled.

"Pack. For four days at the beach. Include some jeans or something similar though, it gets pretty cold at night sometimes." He said, waiting for her brain to turn over.

"You're taking me to the Hamptons?" She asked and he nodded.

"You need a break. Hell, we both need a break. A few days out of the city will do us both some good, don't you think?" He smiled, and she kissed him softly.

"I like the way you think. I'll pack quickly and then we'll head to yours. Can you grab me some water, please?" She asked, and he nodded.

"Yeah, of course." He said, leaving the bedroom. She took the opportunity to pull her favourite pieces of lingerie into her suitcase, along with her swimsuit, and hide them under the clothes she'd already packed. Smiling as she accepted the glass of water from Rick, she threw in a few last pieces of clothing and her toiletries before zipping up her bag and lifting it off her bed. "You ready?" Rick asked in surprise, and she nodded.

"Yep. Let's hit the loft." She said, and they wandered towards her car. "Oh wait, should we take a cab?"

"Don't worry about it, you can leave your car in our undercover car-park at the loft if you want. We have a spare space." He said with a shrug, and she smiled.

"Sounds good. Thanks, Rick." She said, sliding into the car.

At the loft, Rick didn't take long to pack at all, and before long the pair were on the road to the Hamptons in Rick's SUV. He'd insisted on driving and even though Kate put up a little fight, she decided to let him have this one and settled herself into the passenger seat, fiddling with his iPod until she found something worth listening to. They chatted all the way there, telling stories about other vacations they'd taken. Kate told Rick about her semester abroad in Russia, punctuating her stories in a Russian accent and enjoying the shiver that coursed through his body when she rolled her R's. He told her tales of the giant European adventure that he and Alexis had taken after she finished middle school with perfect grades – the deal they had made before she started at her prestigious high school. She smiled as he told tales of France, Spain and Italy, silently hoping that she'd get to see those places for herself one day – maybe even with the man beside her for company. He glanced over as she pondered that thought and he took her hand, breaking her from her reverie.

"I'd like to take you one day. There's so many incredible things that I'd love to show you." He said softly, and she smiled despite herself.

"Your Jedi mind trick thing is starting to get a little creepy, now." She said, a teasing lilt in her voice, and he smiled.

"One day, Kate." He affirmed, and she really couldn't find a reason to dispute that.

XXX

Rick pulled the car up to his Hamptons place just as Kate woke from the sleep she'd fallen into about halfway into the drive. He smiled at her as she blinked sleepily.

"We're here?" She asked softly, sounding more child-like than he'd ever heard before.

"Yeah, we are." He smiled, before opening his door and running around to be chivalrous and open hers for her. She rolled her eyes but smiled none-the-less, as he took her hand and led her to the front door. "I'll show you around first and then come and grab our bags." He said, before unlocking the door and throwing it open to lead her inside.

The front door opened into a small hallway, leading to a large open plan living area, with a breakfast bar separating the lounge and kitchen. The lounge's main feature was the beautiful fireplace, and Kate couldn't help but smile at the sight. The four bedrooms of the house all came off of a hallway at the edge of the kitchen, the master bedroom had an en-suite, while the rest of the rooms had a large bathroom to share. Next to the main bathroom there was a small laundry. But the real hero of the house was back through the lounge room, out the huge floor to ceiling glass sliding doors to the deck. It had been masterfully crafted and Kate couldn't help but gasp at the view of the ocean that greeted her. She turned to Rick, who was smiling proudly.

"You really love this place, don't you?" She asked as she observed him.

"Yeah. What can I say? It's my escape." He said with a shrug.

"It's not what I expected, but I love it too." She said, and he pulled her into a hug.

"You expected something flashier." He said, picking up on her hidden message easily.

"Honestly? When you first mentioned the Hamptons house years ago, I was expecting some two story monstrosity. Now that I know you, I understand why you'd pick this place."

"Really, why?" He asked, curious to hear her interpretation.

"Because it's homely. And now that I know you, I know that despite all the fame and fortune, all you want is for somewhere to feel like home. You have the loft, of course, but you have this too." She said, and his mouth dropped in surprise.

"You're good, Kate, I'll give you that." He said.

"I know." She smirked cheekily. "Shall we go grab those bags?"

"Absolutely. And then we'll need to go get some groceries." He said with a smile, as they went about their business.


	8. Truths

**Here we go! This one is TOTALLY SAPPY. Fair warning.**

**IBYL  
>xo <strong>

An hour later, the pair were settled on the couch out on the deck, watching the world go by. Rick was writing half-heartedly as he watched Kate read a book, the first of the Stephanie Plum mysteries. He smiled as she lost herself in the book completely, laughing at the amusing parts and gasping when danger came into play. It was fascinating, but he decided to break her bubble for a good cause.

"Hey, Kate?" He said softly, and she hummed in response. "Put the book down for a sec?" He asked, and she placed her bookmark in her page before looking up at him.

"What's up?" She asked, and he just nodded towards the horizon in response. She smiled, and curled herself into his embrace. "It's a beautiful sunset." She said happily.

"And I'm sharing it with a beautiful woman." He grinned, and she rolled her eyes but smiled despite the cheese factor of his comment.

"Oh, you're good." She teased good-naturedly, and he pulled her into a bruising kiss. When they pulled away she smiled, a sparkle in her eyes. Rick grinned as he spotted it.

"You actually have no idea how incredibly beautiful you are, do you?" He asked genuinely, and she looked at him stunned.

"What do you mean?"

"You're just absolutely stunning. Gorgeous beyond belief, and you have no idea." He said, and she blushed a little.

"I just… people have told me that before, but…" She trailed off.

"You didn't believe them." He said, having to refrain himself from shaking his head sadly.

"Why do you think I blush whenever you tell me? You're so sincere, and every time you tell me I'm pretty or something I just… I never know what to say or do." She said, and he pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"You'd better get used to it, because I'm going to tell you how beautiful you are every chance I get for the rest of my life." He said, and she blinked a few times to try and hold back tears. Rick gently wiped away the few that escaped and looked at her questioningly. She smiled.

"Rest of your life, huh?" She said with a little smile, and he grinned.

"There's something else I've got to tell you every chance I get for the rest of my life." He said. "I love you, Kate. I love you so much, and I'm going to tell you whenever and wherever I can, for as long as you'll let me." The tears were flowing freely down her face now, but she smiled through them.

"I love you too." She said simply, and he grinned widely before kissing her again. The passion they'd always had for each other but had only just truly admitted to, seeped through into their kiss.

When the pair finally broke for air, Kate smiled as she rested her forehead against Rick's. She looked into his bright blue eyes and saw nothing but sheer joy and love, which made her smile wider, and contemplate what she'd done to deserve such a fantastic man by her side. Little did she know that Rick was having similar thoughts, wondering who exactly to thank for the fact that the girl of his dreams, the love of his life, loves him in return. He daydreamed for a bit before he was interrupted.

"Hey, Rick?"

"Yes, love?" He responded easily.

"Take me to bed." She whispered softly, and watched as his eyes widened comically. When he finally regained his senses, he tucked his arm under her knees and wrapped his other arm around her back and stood up, carrying her bridal-style through the house and towards their bedroom.

XXX

The next morning they woke up as the sun broke over the horizon. Kate smiled into Rick's bare chest as she recalled all of the delicious things they did the night before, before curling closer to him and running her fingers up and down his abs gently, tracing nonsense patterns on him. His eyes fluttered open softly and he smiled.

"Hey. You're drawing on me again." He said, remembering the last morning they'd woken up together.

"Well this time there's no clothing to interrupt my drawing." She said. "Why, does it bother you?" She asked, suddenly self-conscious.

"Not at all. I love it." He said, kissing her forehead and making her giggle.

"See, we both have our things. You kiss my head, and I draw on you. We're even." She said, returning to her drawing. He smiled and laid back, simply enjoying the feeling of waking up with a naked Kate Beckett in his arms. When her drawing slowly morphed into writing, he noticed, and started to pay more attention. When he recognised her nimble fingers spell out 'I Love You', he snuggled down while at the same time pulling Kate up to meet him. He kissed her softly, gently, and smiled against her lips, making her chuckle.

"I love you too, Kate." He said, pulling her into a heated kiss.

XXX

Three hours and a very steamy shower later, Kate and Rick were eating lunch in the kitchen together, chatting easily about anything that came to mind. When they finished eating, Rick smiled.

"So I was thinking, maybe this afternoon we could go for a walk around town and tonight I can take you on another proper date." He said with a smile, and she nodded.

"That sounds great, Rick. Let me go get ready and we'll go out." She smiled and kissed him softly before she ran to their bedroom to get organised. About 20 minutes later, she emerged from the bedroom and found Rick ready and waiting, car keys in hand.

"We should go shopping." Rick declared as they left the car and began walking up the main street. She chuckled at him a little as she took his hand.

"What could we possibly have to buy?" She questioned in return.

"I don't know. Anything, everything… I want to spoil you." He said, squeezing her hand, and she shook her head.

"No spoiling me, Rick. I don't need it, or want it. Spoiling is only for special occasions, like birthdays and Christmas."

"But your birthday is so far away!" He moaned, and she laughed, leaning in to kiss him softly.

"That just gives you more time to decide HOW to spoil me." She said with a wink, and he laughed before pulling her into a deeper kiss. They pulled away for air and she smiled breathlessly. "How about some coffee?" She asked, and he nodded, leading her towards a cute little café up the street.

XXX

After a teeny bit of shopping, Kate and Rick walked, once again hand in hand, back to where they'd parked the car. Kate had bought a new dress for their evening tonight, but had refused to let Rick see it, deeming that it had to be a surprise because she never got the opportunity to surprise him. When he pointed out that it had only been just over a week since they'd started dating, she stopped dead on the street. As their hands were connected, her sudden stop caused him to halt too. He turned and was struck by the pure shock on her face.

"Kate, what is it?"

"We've only been together a week, Rick!" She said, and he paused.

"And…?" He asked, clearly not understanding where she was going.

"One week is no time at all!" She said, and he squeezed her hand.

"Walk back to the car with me, and we'll go have this conversation in private instead of on a public street." He said, and she nodded, realising that this really wasn't the place.

A few short minutes later, they were back at the house. Kate perched herself on the couch, trying to remain calm. Rick put the shopping bags away, before returning and sitting next to Kate on the couch.

"So, you want to tell me why you froze back there?" He asked, and she looked down.

"I just… we've only been together just over a week, Rick. For half of that time, we haven't been working or doing anything difficult, we've just been having fun. I'm getting ahead of myself. Relationships don't happen this quick." She said, and he nodded in understanding.

"Kate, we've been doing difficult things for years. It's not like you and I have just met – together, we've pulled through some of the toughest situations any person could ever encounter. We're not in a regular new relationship because really, we've been building it for years. We may have been 'together' together for only a week, but I've been in love with you for a LOT longer than that, I can assure you." He said, taking a chance and wrapping his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug. She slid her arms around his waist carefully, burrowing her face into his chest. "I think you know this is different, Kate. And I think that might be what's scaring you." He said, and smirked as he felt her nod against his chest. He knew her SO well.

"I dream about you." She whispered.

"I'm honoured. Good dreams?" He asked, and she looked up, a smile of pure joy on her face despite the moisture in her eyes. "I'll take that smile as a yes." He said.

"The best dreams. You and I on dates, you and I at the precinct bickering – extensions of real life. But these past two nights, my dreams have been about more than real life. Like… you proposing, or our wedding day. Last night we were married with a little girl, no more than three, who looked like me but had your piercing blue eyes, and she was skipping around Central Park. You were calling her 'Jo' and she was giggling all the time. It was the most adorable thing, Castle. And it all felt so damn real." She said, biting her lip. "We've been together a week and I've had those dreams, dreams I've never had before." She said softly, and he smiled, tilting her head up to kiss her softly.

"One day, Kate. One day, we'll have all that and more." And he sounded so damn certain that Kate didn't have the heart to protest further.

**Review? Two to go...**


	9. Date Night Version 2

**AN: Sorry, this one's only short, but this is the penultimate chapter. Next one is an epilogue :)**

**IBYL**  
><strong>xo<strong>

With her breakdown momentarily quashed by Rick, Kate excused herself to get ready for their date night. She paused at the mirror in the bathroom and couldn't resist the urge to imagine herself pregnant. She ran a hand over her flat stomach and smiled. _One day,_ she thought, as she stepped under the warm spray of the shower.

A leisurely two hours later, Kate was pulling on a pair of sky-high black heels to complete her look for the evening. Rick had hinted not-so-subtly that tonight they would be dining at an exclusive restaurant, so she made sure to dress the part. She'd bought a beautiful dark purple chiffon dress, full-length with a near-indecent slit up the side that she was sure Rick would love. The halter-cut flattered her frame, and she finished off the outfit with a silver necklace and bangle. Packing her phone and a few other essentials in a small clutch, Kate wandered out of the room she'd been using to get ready, and walked straight into their shared bedroom.

"Hey babe, can you help with with my…" He paused as he looked up and saw Kate. "Tie." He murmured, clearly stunned. His jaw had dropped and she laughed.

"Of course I can." She said, walking over to help him adjust the simple black necktie he'd chosen. She played with the knot gently, fixing it easily. "Done." She said with a smile, and he finally gathered his senses again, winding his arms around the beauty in front of him.

"You look incredible, Kate. Absolutely stunning." He said, pecking her lips softly as she smiled.

"Thanks Rick. I've found that I'm actually quite fond of getting all dressed up." She said, twirling gently in his arms, causing him to notice the slit in her dress.

"You looking like that may just be the death of me." He said, and she laughed.

"Are we going to make our reservations?" She asked, and he glanced as his watch.

"Yeah, we'll be fine. Shall we, my lovely lady?" He asked, holding out his arm to her regally. She smiled and linked her elbow through his.

"Let's shall." She teased, as they walked out the door.

XXX

They arrived at a seafood restaurant on the shore, and Rick settled his hand on the small of Kate's back. He couldn't help the possessive glare that he unleashed across the men in the restaurant, and Kate laughed. He thought he was being so secretive, but she noticed, and leaned closer to him to whisper in his ear.

"You're not fooling anyone, Ricky. Breathe. You know I'll be leaving with you." She said softly, and he gulped, his adam's apple visibly bobbing in his throat. She chuckled in his ear before taking her seat at the table they'd been led to, and she picked up her menu while Rick ordered the wine.

XXX

Dinner passed in a flurry of easy conversation and even easier flirting. The food was delicious, and Kate found herself enjoying one of the best dates of her life. Dessert was possibly better than the main course, and Rick's moans of delight had her in fits of giggles for ages. When they finished dinner, Rick pulled her back towards the car. Instead of heading for home, however, they drove in the opposite direction, and Rick pulled up in front of a small but fancy cocktail bar. They walked in together but instead of ordering drinks, Rick turned to her and smiled.

"May I have this dance, Kate?" He asked, holding out his hand. She took it with a gentle smile.

"Of course you may." She said, and they wandered to the centre of the dance-floor. He pulled her into his arms easily as they waltzed. When the song ended, Kate pulled away, surprised. "You've got the moves, Castle." She said teasingly. "What's your excuse?"

"My mother, of course. And you?" He asked, referencing her own hidden talent.

"My mom too." She said with a shrug, and Rick squeezed her hand softly in understanding. He remained silent, giving Kate the opportunity to continue. "She used to dance with my dad in the living room all the time, just because they could. She always said they were re-creating their wedding dance for me." Kate said with a small smile, this particular memory of her mother not striking her with blinding pain like some of the others. Rick noticed the subtle happiness in her eyes and couldn't resist.

"One day, Kate." He murmured softly, and she smiled.

"One day." She affirmed, much more confident than earlier, and he beamed widely in response.

"One day soon?" He asked, cheeky as ever, and Kate just smiled.

"Don't push it, Ricky."

**Review?**


	10. Epilogue

**AN 1: So, this is the epilogue. There's a longer AN at the end.**

**IBYL**  
><strong>xo<strong>

**(Disclaimer: I WISH) **

'One day' came remarkably fast despite her best intentions, Kate thought with a smile, as she cradled her week-old baby boy in her arms. Ethan James Castle made his screaming entrance to the world in spectacular fashion, disrupting a murder investigation and deciding that 37 weeks was long enough. Kate had been on desk duty since before she'd even begun to show, but she'd stayed at the precinct helping them with the actual mystery rather than the legwork until much later than many pregnant women. They were mere hours away from her maternity leave farewell party when a certain little boy decided it was time to join in. Kate would've laughed at her baby's timing if it wasn't for the pain she was in. Rick was surprisingly calm throughout the labour, given that she was yelling all manner of insults at him. When the doctor announced that it was a boy, the smile that graced Rick's face became the single most amazing thing she's ever had the privilege of seeing. Except for maybe the look of pure joy on his face when she'd said yes to his proposal.

_It had been just like any other day at the precinct, really. No body dropped, so they were doing paperwork for the majority of the day. Castle, despite the paperwork, stuck around for much of the day, providing some much-needed comic relief to the boys, and keeping Kate in coffee so that she could get her work done. When he left at around four that afternoon, he apologised, said he had errands to run and promised to make it up to her when she got home. Deciding this was a valid compromise, she kissed Rick softly and told him she'd see him in a few hours._

_When she left the precinct two hours later, she wandered to her car only to find Rick leaning against it, a smile on his face._

"_Hey, what are you doing here?" She asked, kissing him in greeting. They lost themselves for a minute before Rick regained his senses._

"_It's a surprise. And before you lecture me about how you don't like surprises, just give me this one. It's been MONTHS since I've sprung any surprises on you, and I know you'll love this one." He said, and she had to concede his point. It had been a while, and when he did surprise her it was usually very well-suited to her. So she begrudgingly slipped into the passenger seat of the car, waiting for him to whisk her away. He slipped into the driver's seat and pulled into traffic, heading for their destination. Rick stopped the car ten minutes later on a street in Soho, and jumped out of the car in order to open her door for her._

"_Milady." He said, taking her hand, and she smiled._

"_Thanks, Rick." He twined their fingers together and they walked past a couple of shopfronts before he stopped at one, rushing out to open the door for Kate. As she entered she noticed the sign on the door. "The sign says closed." She said, halting in the doorway, and Rick tapped his nose slyly before stepping beside her and pulling her inside._

"_Ignore the sign. Come on." He said, tugging her along playfully._

"_Let me guess, you know a guy?" She asked dryly, and he laughed._

"_Sit down. I should explain." He gestured to a table and Kate finally began to take in her surroundings. She was currently standing in what was, for all intents and purposes, a very average NYC café. Except beyond the edge of the last table, there wasn't a wall. There were shelves upon shelves of books._

"_What is this place?" She asked, clearly stunned. Rick finished pottering with the coffee machine and brought over two lattes, placing one in front of her and taking a seat._

"_This is the Housing Works Bookstore Café. Alexis found it one day. It functions like a normal business, really – they sell coffee, books and merchandise, and rent out their little space, and all the money goes to the Housing Works charity."_

"_So you booked it out for the night, for us." She said._

"_Well, I wanted quiet… somewhere that wasn't the loft. And plus, this place gives the money to a great charity. Didn't seem wasteful to me." He said, and she smiled, leaning over the table to kiss him softly._

"_You have such a big heart Richard Castle." She murmured, and he grinned. They sat in silence for a moment, enjoying their coffees, before Rick smiled._

"_So Detective, allow me to introduce you to some books?" He asked, gesturing behind him to the shelves._

"_Absolutely." She said, trying hard not to rub her hands together with glee._

_XXX_

_They'd been wandering around the bookstore for nearly two hours, sharing stories about how they came to find several classics, including Sherlock Holmes and Pride and Prejudice. When they reached the modern mysteries sections, Kate smiled as she brushed her hand gently along the spines of Rick's collective works. He smiled at the action, but frowned when she turned to him and spotted the tears in her eyes._

"_Oh, hey, Kate…" He said, pulling her close. "What's wrong?"_

"_I never told you this before but… I wasn't just a fan of your books, Rick. They saved me. I found 'In A Hail of Bullets' after my mom died, you know? And… the bad guy got caught in your book. It gave me comfort. So then I bought the next one, and the next one…" She trailed off nervously. She'd been getting better at the sharing thing since they'd been together but emotions still weren't her strong point. Rick gathered her into his arms._

"_I think that might just be the best compliment I've ever received about any of my books." He said softly, and she smiled._

"_Just thought you should know." She murmured into his chest. They stayed connected like that for a while before Rick pulled out of the hug and pushed his left hand in his pocket. Before Kate had a chance to blink, he was on the ground in front of her._

"_Kate, I've loved you for so long, and we just keep getting better every day. We're partners, and I want to stay that way forever. You're the most beautiful woman, inside and out - so would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?" He asked, flipping open the lid of the small velvet box in his hand. She nodded for ages before she could finally get the words out._

"_Yes, Rick. Of course I'll marry you." She said, and he stood up, slipping the ring onto her finger and pulling her into a bruising kiss. She brushed the tears from her eyes and smiled down at the ring. He really did have amazing taste, it was beautiful and understated. She kissed him again. "And it fits perfectly, of course." She murmured against his lips, and he smiled widely._

_The woman of his dreams agreed to marry him. Best. Day. Ever._

* * *

><p>When Rick walked into their bedroom at the loft, Kate was staring down at their newborn son with a tired but beautiful smile gracing her face.<p>

"Daydreaming?" He asked, and she shook her head.

"Reminiscing." She said gently.

"Ooh, about what?" He whispered, careful not to wake their sleepy little man.

"You proposing." She said with a smile. "How long had you had that ring?"

"I may or may not have bought it the day we returned to the city after our first weekend in the Hamptons." He said with a smile.

"Rick! We'd been dating a week by then!" She said, and he laughed.

"Hey, I knew. I knew we'd be together forever. I just wanted to wait until you knew." He said with a shrug, and she laughed softly so she didn't disturb the baby in her arms.

"I love you, Rick." She said softly, as the bundle in her arms squirmed. "And I love you, little man, but I think it might be time to put you in the bassinet." She said, and Rick pushed the little yellow bassinet closer to her, ensuring that she could put Ethan in there safely. He stirred a little but remained asleep, so Kate switched on the baby monitor and motioned for Rick to leave the room, taking one last look at her sleeping baby before tip-toeing after her husband. She found him in the kitchen, preparing a snack for her. When he pushed the sandwich in front of her, she smiled.

"Thanks, hubby." She said softly and he smiled.

"You're never going to get tired of calling me that, are you?"

"You've called me 'wifey' more times than I've called you hubby." She tossed back, and he smiled – the exhaustion hadn't hit her that hard if she was still bickering with him.

"Probably. But who can blame me, really?" He asked, and she smiled.

"Yeah, I know. But we've been married for over a year. It's probably getting a little lame now." She said, and he smiled.

"It'll never be lame, my dear." He murmured, kissing her softly. "I still can't believe we've been married a year." He said, and she smiled.

"Time flies."

"I still remember every detail. Although mostly I just remember how insanely beautiful you looked in that white dress, walking down the aisle to me." She smiled at the compliment. The dress had been beautiful, perfect even – as it should have been, given the amount of time her, Lanie and Alexis had spent shopping for it. It was a miracle Lanie hadn't killed her, really. Kate thought the only thing that saved her was Lanie's elation at being Maid of Honour.

"Your attention to detail has always been remarkable, Rick. I'd be more concerned if you didn't remember anything." She said, and he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. She just laughed. "That's really where your mind went?" She asked, and he nodded sheepishly.

"You can't blame me!" He protested, and she couldn't help but agree.

"I suppose I can't, really." She couldn't resist the opportunity to tease him a little though. "Two words for you, Ricky: _Wedding night._" She murmured into his ear, before heading back to their bedroom to check on Ethan, pausing to delight in the sound of Rick's groan.

XXX

By the time she'd made it back to the bedroom, it was almost time for Ethan's feed. He was just waking up when she entered so she scooped him into her arms and whispered to him softly to coax him awake. When his bright blue eyes peered up at her, she felt her heart melt. Ethan was the spitting image of his father, and although it should give her cause for concern Kate was secretly pleased that a little doppelganger of Rick would be running around soon enough. Maybe one day they'd have a little girl like her, just to even the score. She couldn't help but smile to herself as Rick entered the room.

"That's another good smile. The proposal again?" He asked, and she shook her head.

"Just thinking about the definition of one day." She said.

"Like in the Hamptons?" He asked, and she nodded.

"We haven't got a mini-me yet. So maybe one day hasn't quite arrived yet."

"You want more?" He asked, surprised and extremely pleased all in one.

"One day." She said, poking her tongue out at him. He just smiled widely.

One day, indeed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: (Version 2.0)<strong>

**Okay people, that's the end of this story. Development has officially been completed.**

**On a slightly different note... the response to this story hasn't been as positive as I'd hoped for. I'm starting to wonder if I've lost my touch. So... I think I'm going to take a break from writing for a while. By the end of this I felt like I was forcing it, purely because I hate to leave things unfinished. I'm finding it hard to write for Castle at the moment, and I think I've figured out why - I started writing when I didn't like what was happening in the show, when Josh and Gina were on the scene and it wasn't going the way I wanted it to. Now, I'm genuinely happy with where my beloved Castle and Beckett are at the moment, so there's nothing to fix.**

**I love reading everyone else's stories so don't fear, I'll still be around. And if you want to, you can follow me on Twitter: I'm 'SimoneLouise_XX'**

**Thankyou for the support, Castle fandom. I'll see you all again eventually, I'm sure.**

**IBYL  
>xo <strong>


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